Source: Supplied.

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez is adamant that Valentino Rossi intentionally took him out of Sunday’s penultimate round of the 2015 title race at Sepang in Malaysia.

Marquez aggressively raced Rossi in the opening six laps, before on lap seven, a frustrated Rossi ran wide at turn 14 on purpose to slow Marquez, before the pair ultimately made contact – resulting in Marquez crashing out of the race.

“For me it is easy to explain what happened because on the TV you can see clear,” Marquez said. “You can see in the video from many points, the helicopter, from in front. I was inside and of course we were overtaking for some laps, but I felt I was able to be faster and to catch the front guys.

“But yeah, on that corner, corner 14, Valentino passed me. I heard the bike then I pick it up, but then I saw that he was completely straight and looking at me and stopping a lot. I was just waiting because there was nothing to do in that point and then I saw that with his leg he pushed my arm and my front brake and then I lock the front wheel and I crash.

“Luckily I am good, in good physical condition, this is the most important, but you know during my career I have many moments you know, I mean many battles and everything, but never have I felt this, that another rider give me a big push and push me out with the leg. But in the end, my result in the race was zero points.

“Of course we can fight, we can overtake, we can have small contact, but in this race until that moment we never had contact. I overtake him, but always in a good place, but I don’t know how inside the helmet you can think to push out with the leg another rider so… yeah, I never see that. Okay I am very young, but for that reason I am very disappointed.”

Despite Rossi’s stunning claims on Thursday that Marquez is helping Lorenzo win this year’s title now he’s out of contention, the current two-time champion denies that is the case and is adamant the Sepang clash wasn’t a typical racing incident. Rossi will be forced to start from the rear of the grid at Valencia as a result.

“You know I don’t want to be inside more on the championship and on the season,” he continued. “For me it’s a race decision, just I explain what I feel. I explained what I feel. I know that I finish on the gravel, I crash and I have zero points and Valentino will start last in Valencia. But you know, what I feel is that is race incident is not a race incident.

“Of course on Thursday Valentino surprised everybody after my victory in Phillip Island, but you know I didn’t consider that because I just did my weekend. I was struggling during all weekend to set up the bike well, as you saw in the video it was moving a lot.

“I know that I was struggling a lot in the first part of the race with the full tank because the geometry we use I was struggling a little bit, but I know that the second part of the race was my strongest point. We tried but in the end another rider pushed me out. So in the end it is zero points, okay, still I was fighting for third place in the championship, but now that’s it.”